A PROPOSAL to bring back dog racing to Walthamstow Stadium will be assessed by the council in an attempt to calm the furore over the future of the site.

The venue, which closed in 2008, has been the subject of an increasingly bitter dispute between new owners London and Quadrant (L&Q) and campaigners who want it returned to its original use.

L&Q is determined to press ahead with its plans for affordable housing and turned down a offer by millionaire racing fan Bob Morton to buy the site.

The council has now stepped in after a public consultation was cancelled following L&Q claims of intimidation by dog racing supporters at an event earlier this month.

The claim was denied by Cllr Nick Buckmaster, who attended the event, and no formal complaint has been made to police.

Now Cllr Marie Pye, Waltham Forest Council’s cabinet member for housing and development, wants the council to take a role ‘at the heart of the debate’ over the iconic venue’s future.

She said: “Over the past few months the waters have become muddier and muddier regarding the Walthamstow Stadium site.

“As the land is privately owned we cannot directly influence proceedings.

“However, we believe that there is a role for the local authority to play in mediating between the interested parties.

“Both [council leader] Cllr Chris Robbins and I recently met with L&Q to discuss their plans and progress.

“Similarly, we have invited Bob Morton to meet with us to discuss any recent developments.

“Initially he turned this invitation down, but has now agreed to meet the leader and myself and we are now looking for a suitable date so the council’s executive director of environment and regeneration can evaluate his plans and their feasibility.

“I have also been approached by a group concerned with animal welfare, and the information they provided will also be carefully considered as part of the executive director’s appraisal.

“We know that this site is of interest to residents and non-residents alike and we want to examine what the various parties are saying in a way that is measured, impartial and informed.

“We must, of course, do this in a way that does not prejudice our role as independent planning authority, but we feel that it is important to have someone unbiased at the heart of a debate which has become all too heated in recent weeks.”

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